Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[narcissa]

Yeah I believe "underwhelming Olympic Champion" was in the 2014/15 season when he was suffering injury after injury after surgery after injury, etc. As if Olympic Champions should always be held to some super high standard and never be allowed to struggle or have to match your tastes. This is why so many Olympic Champions quit after the win to "go out on a high" (let alone compete a full season after the Olympics! he was the only one who has in a long time), but I found all his struggles to be (while unfortunate), so admirable in the challenge to never stop improving himself, to be hurt and fall and rise again.

I'm sorry, but that's even more uncalled for. It's not like he planned to get into an almost career-ending crash or wanted to get injured. Show some respect. Did he think Yuzuru's 2014 CoC free skate was "underwhelming"? I have no words...

 

[Fresca]

For me, H&L is best viewed with an unobstructed view via fan footage, you get a real sense of the expanse and scope of his ice coverage, how massive his jumps are, how effortlessly he gains speed, and you don't get bogged down by details of facial expression (which is admittedly much more important for TV viewers, so it's still integral). You see the big picture, he's not doing two-footed, upright skating throwing his arms up periodically to obvious accents in the music in front of the judges, he's doing full body movement, getting low in the knees or stretching up high, using all levels of his body, twisting and turning his blades to the music.

Yes I love the levels in this program! In fact, generally his programs use the entirety of the space well. The space from the surface of the ice to the air above is a figure skater's canvas and Yuzu uses his body to paint through it brilliantly.

Some people criticize him for not being balletic, but he's not telling a story through balletic gestures that happen to be on ice, he's using the language of figure skating. His crossovers match the music, his transitions match the music, his jumps match the music.

Interestingly, Daisuke Takahashi had a televised talk with ballet dancer Tetsuya Kumakawa where they discussed how to do jumps in ballet vs. jumps in figure skating and the relation of these big, difficult elements to the music. Daisuke said "Jumps are not to go with the music...Each one has his own rhythm to do it. Basically a jump doesn't really have to go with the beat or phrase of the music. In figure skating (that is)..It's more important to get the jump itself executed well." You can find the whole section of the talk here.

This must be how most other figure skaters do it. Yuzu is the alien who can do his jumps with very little setup out of difficult steps to the music.

 

[begin]

Yuzu was featured on Korean TV (just until 1:40)

those cheers were intense

 

[AnyaFei]

:gclap: we've passed 12Million views

I was browsing yesterday, like 22 hours ago to be exact, and I was like, "Oh the views are around 11,990,000, 10k more and we'll reach 12M, MAYBE IN 5 MORE DAYS!...." and dang it's not even 24 hours and we've already reached 12M views! So, on estimate I think we're getting 15k to 20k views every 24 hours?!

 

[asiacheetah]

https://vimeo.com/204933169

Has anyone posted this video of Nathan and Yuzu's 4CC FS without jumps and spins?

Nathan has slightly better skating skills than I give him credit for, but he seems to do a lot of two footed skating. Other than the step sequence, is it just me or does he seem very stiff and not bend his knees much? Have I been spoiled by the deep knee bends of Patrick, Shoma, and Yuzu that now it looks weird since Nathan seems to just skim the ice.

Weirdly tho, Yuzu skates like he floats on ice, which is one of the reason why I enjoy his shaking so much, but I feel like he uses his whole body, but somehow doesn't carve into the ice as deeply. Does that make sense?

 

[chiraya]

Can someone please translate what is this news about Yoshiki (X-Japan) and Yuzu? It seems the other member Toshi told Yoshiki that when he was a child he looked like Yuzu?
Thanks!
http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/1786218.html

 

[Lambari]

Can someone please translate what is this news about Yoshiki (X-Japan) and Yuzu? It seems the other member Toshi told Yoshiki that when he was a child he looked like Yuzu?
Thanks!
http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/1786218.html

You beat me to it. Although I didn't know who he was when this appeared on twitter. Here's the video, for anyone who wants to translate. I believe the Yuzuru mention is at 1:58, but I didn't watch the whole video.

____________________________________

A cut from korean news, supposedly talking about how 4CC was a success and something about how much money was generated, 680 million won (?) I think.

 

[Danibellerika]

I am disappointed the Olympic short program and free program are on consecutive days again, aren't they? It's so out of the ordinary not to have a rest day, and another LP splatfest wouldn't be surprising

This is my concern too...but I'll be there to cheer on the boys anyway. Yuzu managed clean back to back skates from NHK 2015 so I'm hopeful he can make it happen there when it matters most. I'm also hoping Brian has a strategy to make sure he is as well rested as possible. And if he's gonna splat, please for the love of everything holy just ROTATE!!

 

[narcissa]

This is my concern too...but I'll be there to cheer on the boys anyway. Yuzu managed clean back to back skates from NHK 2015 so I'm hopeful he can make it happen there when it matters most. I'm also hoping Brian has a strategy to make sure he is as well rested as possible. And if he's gonna splat, please for the love of everything holy just ROTATE!!

he always rotates! except when he pops so yes we can trust yuzuru to rotate even when he falls

 

[KatGrace1925]

https://vimeo.com/204933169

Has anyone posted this video of Nathan and Yuzu's 4CC FS without jumps and spins?

Nathan has slightly better skating skills than I give him credit for, but he seems to do a lot of two footed skating. Other than the step sequence, is it just me or does he seem very stiff and not bend his knees much? Have I been spoiled by the deep knee bends of Patrick, Shoma, and Yuzu that now it looks weird since Nathan seems to just skim the ice.

Weirdly tho, Yuzu skates like he floats on ice, which is one of the reason why I enjoy his shaking so much, but I feel like he uses his whole body, but somehow doesn't carve into the ice as deeply. Does that make sense?

Nathan's free program clearly is imbalanced. It has been speculated, with good evidence, on the Nathan thread that there was never any plan to rise as quickly as he has in scoring. He has had so mant injuries that they wanted to focus on getting his jumps for his long and they wanted to get his name out there heading into the olympic year. His long program lacks so much that he is capable of having artisitically, this is not the final product in any way and it's glaringly obvious. Their goal was to get all the jumps consistent, and they've done that. Working with Marina has done a lot for him, and I think having room to improve is good for him and that we will see more strides in ss next year.

Yuzu's skating has improved quite a bit since he was young, his programs as a teen are wild in their energy to me. He was unrefined and it took him a few years to get to the point he has been at for awhile. He has continued to improve year by year and that is one of the things that makes Yuzu so incredible and it is something younger skaters should look up to.

I don't think it is fair to compare now Yuzu to now Nathan, but that is the nature of what happens when a young competitor beats a seasoned vetran.

I'm such a wierdo on this forums being a huge Yuzu fan and a huge Nathan fan...

 

[beki]

His long program lacks so much that he is capable of having artisitically, this is not the final product in any way and it's glaringly obvious. Their goal was to get all the jumps consistent, and they've done that. Working with Marina has done a lot for him, and I think having room to improve is good for him and that we will see more strides in ss next year.

I wonder how that will go. Purely from a competitive standpoint, he might do better not to change anything. Look at Boyang Jin's issues this year.

 

[Danibellerika]

he always rotates! except when he pops so yes we can trust yuzuru to rotate even when he falls

Well I mean no popping. Him not rotating (because he popped) lost him a 4CC title.

 

[Danibellerika]

I wonder how that will go. Purely from a competitive standpoint, he might do better not to change anything. Look at Boyang Jin's issues this year.

I think Boyang and Nate are two very different types of skaters. I see more potential for Nate to harness the jumps and genuinely build his PCS more. I just worry that if they give him high PCS without really earning it yet that he won't be motivated to improve as much as he could.

 

[gladiolusc]

You beat me to it. Although I didn't know who he was when this appeared on twitter. Here's the video, for anyone who wants to translate. I believe the Yuzuru mention is at 1:58, but I didn't watch the whole video.

Yuzuru first came up because they were talking about how Yoshiki used to be very weak when he was a child -----> so the interviewer quipped "like Hanyu Yuzuru!"
And then Yoshiki mentioned how last year during Kouhaku they saw Hanyu and Toshi went "Doesn't he look like young Yoshiki?"

 

[KatGrace1925]

I wonder how that will go. Purely from a competitive standpoint, he might do better not to change anything. Look at Boyang Jin's issues this year.

Nathan's got a lot more artistic potential. He showed a lot of artistic promise as a young skater and his short program is beautiful! I could easily see him becoming a fantastic artist in a completely different vein than Yuzu. Remeber he did have to come back from a horrible hip injury, so it makes sense that they would take a year to nail down the tech.

 

[beki]

Nathan himself said he can only perform such an ambitious layout frontloaded. From a risk-reward perspective, I would keep it the same. Not that that's what I prefer in skating, it isn't. I like what Yuzuru is striving for. Whether Nathan can find that balance I don't know. But it's the same situation Eteri and Zhenya are in. Should they abandon a high-scoring formula? The incentive isn't there.

 

[unico]

I don't think it is fair to compare now Yuzu to now Nathan, but that is the nature of what happens when a young competitor beats a seasoned vetran.

I'm such a wierdo on this forums being a huge Yuzu fan and a huge Nathan fan...

I hope you don't feel uncomfortable being a fan of multiple skaters! In fact, talking about other skaters in a Fan Fest should always be respectful, even though obviously there has been some tensions due to 4CC I think that at this point, we can only compare the two skaters as they are now despite the age gap, because this is how they have competed directly against each other, and this is how judges evaluated them.

https://vimeo.com/204933169

Has anyone posted this video of Nathan and Yuzu's 4CC FS without jumps and spins?

Nathan has slightly better skating skills than I give him credit for, but he seems to do a lot of two footed skating. Other than the step sequence, is it just me or does he seem very stiff and not bend his knees much? Have I been spoiled by the deep knee bends of Patrick, Shoma, and Yuzu that now it looks weird since Nathan seems to just skim the ice.

Weirdly tho, Yuzu skates like he floats on ice, which is one of the reason why I enjoy his shaking so much, but I feel like he uses his whole body, but somehow doesn't carve into the ice as deeply. Does that make sense?

Doesn't carve into the ice as deeply as Patrick and Shoma, or Nathan? I think his edges are plenty deep (maybe not like Patrick's, but nobody skates like Mr. Long-Deep-Sustained Edges ), but the fact that Yuzuru is taller and so slim maybe makes it appear that means he doesn't (hence floaty?). Actually, being tall and thin isn't actually that advantageous because it means a higher center of gravity as well as not as much weight to shift and use as momentum. Perhaps that's what you're observing.

 

[maggie0422]

Nathan's got a lot more artistic potential. He showed a lot of artistic promise as a young skater and his short program is beautiful! I could easily see him becoming a fantastic artist in a completely different vein than Yuzu. Remeber he did have to come back from a horrible hip injury, so it makes sense that they would take a year to nail down the tech.

obviously, you are just a huge Nathan fan

 

[KatGrace1925]

I hope you don't feel uncomfortable being a fan of multiple skaters! In fact, talking about other skaters in a Fan Fest should always be respectful, even though obviously there has been some tensions due to 4CC I think that at this point, we can only compare the two skaters as they are now despite the age gap, because this is how they have competed directly against each other, and this is how judges evaluated them.


Doesn't carve into the ice as deeply as Patrick and Shoma, or Nathan? I think his edges are plenty deep (maybe not like Patrick's, but nobody skates like Mr. Long-Deep-Sustained Edges ), but the fact that Yuzuru is taller and so slim maybe makes it appear that means he doesn't (hence floaty?). Actually, being tall and thin isn't actually that advantageous because it means a higher center of gravity as well as not as much weight to shift and use as momentum. Perhaps that's what you're observing.

I am definitely comfortable liking multiple skaters. I am enjoying the current skating era and all the awesome skaters that we can love right now.

I said that more because the current landmap seemed to be so sadly Yuzu fans vs Nathan fans, and there have been so much shade thrown from both camps. I like the differences the skaters have to offer, and I really think the current young generation could bring some awesome stuff in the future. I also love how Yuzu is doesn't back down to the challenges from these kids. I don't think there will ever be a skater quite like Yuzu, he's just beautiful.

 

[KatGrace1925]

obviously, you are just a huge Nathan fan

Huge skating fan (actually more like skating mega geek at this point), huge Yuzu fan, huge Gracie fan, huge Nathan fan, huge Shoma fan, huge Marin fan, huge Julia fan, huge Josh fan, huge Mao fan, huge Shibsibs fan.

I am quite a but of things and I quite love the current landmap of skating. [And I am writing a book about figure skaters so yeah theres that.]